Calling crafters and artists to contribute to Upton's doll's house

Two staff in front of a large model dolls' house inside the house

This year Upton House invites visitors to help re-create Upton in miniature. To complement our ‘Made-To-Measure’ project, one of Upton’s volunteers has made us our very own doll's house.

This Lilliputian version of Upton House is made-to-measure on a 1/12 scale. We would like visitors to join us in making fittings, furnishings, and all manner of late 1920s and early 1930s household miniatures, from jelly moulds to radio wirelesses, to dress this very special doll’s house.  

Upton’s Doll’s House will be built room by room over the next year, running for the life of the Made-to-Measure presentation concluding in December 2019. Focusing on one or two of the historic rooms in turn, every few months we will release a room list of furniture, paintings and porcelain from Upton’s collection.  

We hope that Upton’s doll's house will encourage similar enthusiasm for handcrafting miniatures as Queen Mary’s doll's house stimulated in 1924.

A tribute to Craftsmanship
Between 1927 and 1936 Lord Bearsted, Shell Chairman and one of Britain’s wealthiest men, remodelled Upton House, near Banbury, creating a modern country home and a display case for his distinguished art collection. Upton’s doll's house is a tribute to the craftsmanship, artistic vision and devotion that Lord and Lady Bearsted, their architect, workforce, and house and garden staff invested in this historic property. 

Calling all crafters and makers 
We welcome handmade contributions of 1920s and 1930s fittings and furnishings to dress the dolls’ house, made on a 1:12 scale. To get involved please visit or email our doll's house team to sign up to make an item from the list. Alternatively, we welcome handmade miniatures that are not on the list, but you think would add life to the room.  

Rooms will be furnished a few at a time, with new lists of the miniatures will be released throughout the project.

See the house progress 
Join us at Upton throughout the made-to-measure project (2017-2019) to see the rooms ‘dressed’ with your contributions.  The grand unveiling of the completed doll's house will be at Christmas 2019.  

Let us know how you are getting on
Keep us up to date with the progress on the items you are making by posting pictures on our social media channels! Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @utponhouseNT 

Woodworker standing next to the wooden dolls house he built

Meet the maker, Bob Packer  

Bob made the doll's house. Here he tells us how it all began and how he planned to create a representation of Upton in miniature form for the Made-to-Measure Doll's House project.

The Hall with lots of carpets, tables and chairs
Upton House and Gardens   Warwickshire

Step inside the made-to-measure home

Come and see the story of Upton’s last house sale. Lord Bearsted made Upton his country home in 1927 and set about creating the perfect country residence for his family and growing art collection. Explore the fashionable tastes of the day and learn how to create a home made-to-measure.

Come for a viewing
Close up photograph of a bed of purple Asters
Upton House and Gardens   Warwickshire

Asters and autumn colour in Upton’s Garden

The colour changes from the blues and purple of the aster collection in September to the reds and oranges of the shrubs in the dry bank in October. Find out what’s looking its best in Upton’s garden this autumn.

What you'll find as you wander in the gardens
Children balancing on logs
Upton House and Gardens   Warwickshire

Have an adventure at Upton in October half-term

Take the Nocturnal Nature Trail through the woods and try your hand at some of our half-term craft activities. £2 per child, normal admission prices apply. Stay longer with a visit to the house to see the doll's house or more fun in the garden with the adventure pack.

Come and see for yourself